Tsavorite and morganite

GEMSTONES
Tsavorite
and morganite
Forever spring:
By Marie Feliciano and Bernardette Sto. Domingo
T
heir vivid colour, incredible lustre and allusion
to spring have made tsavorite garnet and
morganite among the all-time favourite
coloured gemstones of jewellery ateliers in Asia. In
separate interviews with JNA, gemstone specialists
and jewellers shared their views on the demand
outlook for these two gems.
Tsavorite
“At the moment, the demand for tsavorite
seems to be stronger than in 2015,” coloured
gemstone expert Markus Wild of Germanybased Paul Wild OHG said.
Price-wise, high-end quality tsavorites that
display a luminous and bright green colour are anticipated
to command higher prices going forward, said Wild, who showcased
some fine specimens from Tanzania at various international trade fairs
this year.
“We procured some very good rough lots from Tanzania in the last
12 months,” he said. “Currently, some of these sources have no rough
goods available.”
Tsavorite is desired for its flashy green colour,
which ranges from light crisp green reminiscent
From top: Royal Bamboo brooch set with an
8.88-carat yellow diamond centre stone with
tsavorite accents by Chinese designer Diana
Zhang; an 8.62-carat cushion-cut tsavorite;
a 6.96-carat oval-shaped tsavorite; and
an 11.77-carat pear-shaped tsavorite – all
from Paul Wild OHG
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︱August 2016
GEMSTONES
“Tsavorite is a well-loved green gemstone,” HansGeorg said. “But what’s making waves now is not the
dark green stone but a mix between dark and apple
green. The colour has to be bright.”
Wilds Company supplies tsavorites weighing 10
carats and up. “Tsavorite is mostly found in small
sizes; even a 1-carat specimen is considered big.
However, the ones that we sell weigh 10 carats
and up, which make them collectors’ items,” HansGeorg said.
Top: Morganite and pink tourmaline earrings layout from Paul
Wild OHG. The oval-shaped morganites, mined in Madagascar,
have a combined weight of 46.10 carats and the trilliant-cut pink
tourmalines have a total carat weight of 19.433. Right: Facetted
morganite from Sonja Kreis. Below: Ring with a 19.09-carat
morganite centre stone by Kreis Jewellery
of new shoots to cool, intense forest green,
and its outstanding brilliance. “Compared to the
emerald, tsavorite possesses better clarity and is
not as expensive,” said Wild, adding that tsavorites
weighing 2 to 5 carats and in classic cuts are among
Paul Wild OHG’s top-selling goods.
Chinese fine jewellery designer Diana Zhang, also
underscored the tantalising appeal of tsavorites.
“Tsavorite comes in varying shades of light to
dark green, which adds to its allure. This gemstone
helps me express my love for Mother Nature through
my tsavorite-embellished designs. Another reason
why I love using tsavorite is its hardness of 7 to 7.5
on the Mohs scale,” revealed Zhang. “I often use
different metals such as gold mixed with titanium. In
such cases, the hardness of a gemstone is of prime
importance to the jewellery-making process.”
The designer added that she only chooses
gemstones of the finest quality when making her
pieces, noting that tsavorites will always be an integral
part of her collections.
“Green is my favourite colour
since it represents hope and
nature. My clients will definitely find
more tsavorite-accented pieces in
my future collections,” she noted.
Hans-Georg Wild of Hong Kongbased gemstone and jewellery company
Wilds Company Ltd said tsavorite is
among the fastest-rising stones in terms of
popularity at the moment.
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︱August 2016
Morganite
Another crowd favourite is morganite, which is
loved by women everywhere for its soft pink tones.
Wild of Paul Wild OHG said
demand for morganite is
anticipated to remain stable
this year. “We have a large
variety of morganite in our
portfolio, from small calibrated
sizes in lighter colours up
to high-quality single stones
destined for eye-catching jewellery
pieces,” he said. “Our fast-moving
items include morganite layouts
and sets with other coloured
gemstones such as aquamarine
and pink tourmaline.”
Colour and clarity are almost
always the most important attributes
that buyers look for in their coloured
gemstones, Wild continued. Most of the
time, these stones are cut in the classic style. Often,
the gemstone’s size is not the deciding factor in the
purchase, he added.
“Morganite is famous for its light pastel colour,
which is not too bold or ‘invasive;’ it is perfect for
everyday jewellery,” Wild explained.
Just like other popular gemstones, morganite,
especially stones in bigger sizes, is scarce. “It is very
difficult to get new rough stones in good colours.
It doesn’t matter if the material is from Brazil or
Madagascar; at the moment, there is no new material
available in the market,” Wild said.
Hans-Georg of Wilds Company
observed that morganite is especially
favoured by the US market in big
quantities, particularly pinkishorange stones or salmoncoloured gems.
Gemstone cutter Alexander
Kreis of Germany-based Sonja
Kreis said his team always includes
Continued on page 76
GEMSTONES
China’s demand for ... From page 74
Chris Price Opals
Australian opal wholesaler Chris Price Opals Pty
set up an office in Hong Kong around two years
ago to support its sales in mainland China, one
of the company’s major markets along with other
Asian countries, the US and Europe. According to
company director Chris Price, the opal specialist
started attending fairs in Hong Kong in 2003 and
in mainland Chinese cities such as Shanghai and
Beijing in 2008.
Established in 1998, Chris Price Opals specialises
in black opal from New South Wales. The company
offers a wide range of loose opals for $50 to $100,000
per piece as well as pairs and layouts. A layout of
opals in calibrated sizes can cost up to $100,000.
The fast movers in the mainland Chinese market
are opals priced between $20,000 and $60,000 per
piece, according to Amy Cheng, business development
manager at the company’s Hong Kong office.
“Mainland China is going to be a fabulous market,”
said Price. “When I was there, I was very impressed
with my clients, namely the jewellery manufacturers,
dealers and independent designers. They have rich
imaginations, a strong sense of creativity and a high
degree of professionalism.”
Looking ahead, Price believed the current demand
for opal in mainland China was just the tip of the iceberg
and that it would take decades to fully tap the market.
Joel Price Inc
Chris Price’s son, Joel, is another firm believer
in the potential of the Chinese market for opals.
The younger Price designs and produces bespoke
jewellery in gold and platinum adorned with opals and
other coloured gemstones. The pieces are priced
from $20,000 to $800,000 each. His company, Joel
Price Inc, based in New York, sells jewellery and loose
opals to private clients and retail stores in Europe,
North America and Asia, including China.
Forever spring ... From page 70
top-quality morganites in collections presented at
international jewellery exhibitions.
Morganite is highly sought after for its delicate
peach hues, particularly by customers from the US
and Asia, added Kreis. Apart from peach-coloured
stones, natural morganite with orangey and intense
pink shades are also popular.
“The pastel colours of morganite are very wellsuited when working with matting techniques.
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︱August 2016
Black opal bracelet by Joel Price Inc
Black opals are rare and each piece is one of a
kind, which only increases its appeal among mainland
China buyers who place a premium on exceptional
pieces, Joel noted. “They are looking for something
extraordinary that can impress their friends, something
that no one else is wearing. Every piece of opal is
unique and every design of ours is unique. So when
end-customers buy these jewellery items, they get a
two-fold sense of uniqueness,” he explained.
Although many buyers favour black opals with red
and orange colours, Joel said those with blue and
green colours suit his jewellery designs, which have an
almost aquatic feel to them.
According to the jewellery designer, the mainland
Chinese market is gaining a deeper understanding
of opals, which bodes well for the gem. “There is
a huge and growing demand for opals in mainland
China. The local Chinese are becoming more
educated about the stone and are starting to
understand the different types of opals and why it is
so rare and valuable. The price of an opal depends
on how rare it is,” he said. The Joel Price Inc website
carries information on the grading and pricing
standards for opals to enhance the knowledge of
potential buyers, thereby expanding the company’s
customer base, he added. JNA
Carvings, which are reflected on the matte surface,
intensify the colour, similar to old, coloured church
windows from the 16th century,” Kreis added. Natural
morganites with an intense pink hue command the
most attention from buyers due to their rarity. Peachcoloured stones, however, are starting to gain steam
in the market. According to the gemstone specialist,
clients normally look for four criteria when buying
morganites: Colour, size, clarity and unique cut.
These factors help increase the value of the stone,
Kreis noted. JNA